


Loki

by littleblue_eyedbird



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Anise Lavellan - Freeform, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Lavellan and Solas are neighbors, Lavellan has a sphynx kitten named Loki, Loki steals Solas' underwear and it results in an love affair, Romantic Comedy, Smut, Smut happens in chapter 8 and on, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, looks like there will be more than 12 chapters also--because I keep splitting them up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-04-30 11:50:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14496360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleblue_eyedbird/pseuds/littleblue_eyedbird
Summary: Loki loves chewing on freshly cleaned underwear, and has a particular preference for her attractive neighbor's boxers. It's something Anise is trying to break her kitten of, but it seems he is determined to embarrass her forever.





	1. Chapter 1

Anise dropped her empty laundry basket on her kitchen table with a sigh. 

“This is what I get for letting my dirty scrubs pile up,” she announced, pulling her hair up into a pony. When she did not get a small meow in reply, like she normally did when spoke out loud to her kitten, her brows furrowed. “Silent treatment then, I see,” she continued to talk as she moved around the small space, careful of where she stepped. Four months ago, she had rescued a baby sphynx that had left outside the hospital where she was completing her residency. And since the night she took him home, he followed her around like a little shadow, and kneaded on her constantly. Sometimes when she would get home from a particularly long shift, he would ignore her as if hurt that she would leave him for so long. He never ignored her for too long though. He was too much of a love bug to be mad at her for long.

She rolled the tension out of her shoulders and grabbed the edge of the current scrub top she was wearing. As she pulled it over her head a man started yelling something incoherent from the hall, promptly followed by the muffled yell of cat. She froze with the top halfway off her head. Footsteps thundered down the hall, and back up again. She yanked the top the rest of the way off and tossed it over the back of her laundry basket and quick took a peek into the litterbox she had set up outside her bathroom door, hoping without much hope her little guy was just minding his own business. It was empty. Her heart dropped into her stomach.

“ _ Damnit, Loki _ .”

Popping her head out of her door, she found her bald kitten being chased by an equally bald man dressed in a suit down the length of the apartment hallway. In the kitten’s mouth was a dark gray piece of clothing. Just when the man thought he was within grabbing range, the kitten bolted between his legs, forcing him to turn sharply and take a knee. Anise waited in her doorway and when the kitten closed in, she pounced, scooping him up into an unsuspecting embrace. The kitten immediately climbed up her arm to perch on her shoulder, prize in tow. 

“ _ Loki _ ,” she scolded, “what have you got--” she pulled the article of clothing out of his mouth and felt the heat rise to her cheeks as she held it up. 

Her sneak little kitten had somehow gotten a hold of a pair of boxer briefs, still warm.

“Ah, those would be mine,” the stranger said, face equally as flushed as he stepped forward to retrieve his underwear.

“I am so,  _ so _ , sorry,” Anise apologized, hand him his underwear, blushing with fresh mortification.

“They were clean, just to clarify,” he rushed to explain, tucking them behind his back from sight.

She placed a hand over her forehead. “He is  _ such _ a little weirdo. He loves going through and laying on mine too, and specifically underwear.” She looked over at her kitten, who was purring loudly in her ear, and shook her head. “He must have darted out when I opened the door.” His purrs grew louder.

“Forgive me if I frightened him by giving chase, it was not my intention. I just did not expect a pair of my briefs to suddenly scamper off out of my own basket.”

They shared an awkward laugh.

“I better let you go back to folding your clothes in peace, and not pieces,” she said quietly, studying his face, from the shape of his sharp jawline to the defined bones of his cheeks where a blush of his own was still lingering. 

The stranger gave her a warm smile, blue eyes twinkling, “Thank you. And by the way, my name is Solas,” he extended his right hand, the one not holding his underwear, out to her, “I live two apartments down, across from the laundry room.”

“Nice to meet you, my name is Anise,” she took his hand and gave it a firm shake, “and the little asshole on my shoulder is Loki, my six month old sphynx.”

“His sweater is cute,” Solas commented, nodding at the kitten.

“Thanks, I knitted it for him myself.” Anise tugged on Loki’s little green vest, earning her a loving lick to the cheek.

He took a polite step back, “Perhaps we’ll run into each other again, under different circumstances.”

“Perhaps,” she said, and watched his lean figure disappear back down the hall and into the laundry room. 

Anise closed her apartment door and leaned against it as Loki leaped from her shoulder and into her laundry basket. 

“The next time you run into an attractive man,  _ please _ don’t steal his underwear.”

* * *

 

A few weeks later, much to Anise’s dismay, it happened again. In the middle of the night.

She had been putting away her freshly dried and folded laundry when she received the knock. This time, Solas had been able to catch Loki on his own, and was holding the disgruntled kitten in his arms when Anise opened the door. And in Loki’s mouth was another tattered pair of the man’s boxerbriefs .

Embarrassment consumed her. “Oh no.”

“I tried to take them from him, but, ah, it did not work out so well.” 

Anise gasped. “Did he scratch you? Or bite?”

“No, not me. Just my… ah…,” He gestured to the dangling cloth in Loki’s mouth. 

Anise shut her eyes and fought off the urge to squirm. “I deeply apologize, I really should keep better track of him.”

He handed Loki back to her, with his underwear still dangling in the kitten’s mouth. It only took Anise a few seconds to fish them out of his jaws. There were several tears in the fabric where Loki had resisted, rendering the underwear ruined.

“I’m afraid he did a little more damage this time on this pair, uhm, Solas--right?” she said, offering Solas what was left of his briefs back. Loki began liking her earlobe.

“Correct.” His brow raised as he pushed his index finger through one of the tears, “Well, it is nothing I can’t sew back together.” He captured her gaze with is own and offered a small smile, “Good night, Anise.” 

After her door clicked shut, she dropped Loki on her kitchen table and glared at him. He just stretched causing his little green vest to scrunch up before he laid down lazily on her counter top, looking bored and waiting for pets.

“You little shit.”


	2. Chapter 2

The only downside, in Anise’s opinion, in training to be a trauma surgeon, was the lack of sleep. Long nights were part of the job, which always meant less free time for her to do other things, like her chores, have friends, have a partner, have a life. But she liked to keep busy, so she told herself she didn’t mind. And besides, she had an overly affectionate kitten, so that obviously made up for it all.

But on the nights when Anise got off shift at 3:00 am, the last thing she wanted to do was laundry. She knew if she avoided it, and let it sit for another day… or two, she would be out of scrubs and nice underwear. Not that she had any use for nice underwear, it wasn’t like she was getting laid with her schedule. Some of the other residents in her program would sneak a quickie in the on-call rooms, but she never felt that desperate. She wore her nice underwear when she ran out of her regulars. And her old pairs were reserved for the monthly curse bestowed upon her my mother nature for simply being born with a uterus. 

She rubbed the exhaustion from her face and dropped her keys in the key bowl on the counter.

“Loki, you up for a laundry run?”

She was greeted with a sleepy sounding mew coming from her bedroom.

When she flicked on her light, she found Loki stretching from her dirty laundry bin. His little green vest bunching up as his back arched, and straightening out when lunged forward, letting his legs stretch out behind him. 

Loki stayed put on top of the pile as she brought them into the laundry room. As far as laundry rooms went in apartment complexes, this one was on the nicer end. A long table ran through the center of the room so patrons could fold clothes, or sit atop its surface while they waited for their clothes to be cleaned. Three very modern washing machines lined the right wall of the room, with dryers mirrored them on the opposing one. Atop one of the drying machines was a pile of clothing

“Looks like another tennant got impatient,” she said to Loki before checking for an open washer, “I met it was Ms. Ruiz.” She was halfway through loading the washer when she realized Loki was no longer on her laundry pile. She peered over her shoulder, and was not surprised to find him nestled on the pile of clothes on the dryer. What she was surprised to find was that he was  _ chewing _ on a dark article of clothing he had plucked from the pile. She let out a resigned groan and darted over. 

“What am I going to do with you?” She swiped the contraband from him with little resistance and gave another, louder groan when she realized just what it was.

Loki cocked his head to the side with the cloth still hanging from his mouth. 

“You need to leave that poor man and his underwear alone,” she chastised the kitten, knowing full well it was her own fault it happened. She plucked him up and gently deposited him on the dryer to the left. Kittens didn’t belong in laundry rooms. “He must have forgotten he put a load in.” 

Normally, she never would have touched a stranger’s pile of clothes. But over the last month, she felt like she had strangely gotten to know the man from down the hall through his underwear, and felt like maybe she owed him a favor for all the cringe worthy embarrassment she and Loki had caused him. As she reached for a towel from the pile, Loki decided to pounce. He collided headlong into the pile. Garments went scattering all over the floor, while Loki managed to make off a different pair of briefs and hide behind the farthest dryer to her right.

“ _ Loki Prometheus Lavellan _ ,” she stage yelled, trying not to wake the entire floor, “this is the LAST time mister you are getting laundry room privileges!”

She quickly scooped the clean clothes up and dumped them on the table. A muffled “mrowr” echoed behind her. She chose to ignore it. The least she could do now was to fold his clothes. She’d worry about the destroyed underwear later. The rest of his laundry consisted of three towels, a couple pairs of black crew socks, and four more pairs of untarnished boxerbriefs. She gently folded put them neatly in stacks on the edge of the table. To prevent Loki from unleashing anymore chaos, she put her empty basket over the pile. 

Anise turned and faced her next challenge. Retrieving Loki from a tight space he did not want to leave with the prized underwear he did not want to give up. As she squatted, the laundry room door was jerked open with a loud bang, causing Loki to let out a startled mewl and dart from under the dryer.. Anise herself jumped too, but luckily in the direction Loki had bolted in. She managed to get a good grip on his lower half and reign him back in before he could leave the scene. Anise looked up from the floor to see an exhausted yet anxious looking Solas standing in the doorway. His tie was halfway undone and loosely hanging around his neck. Jagged lines pressed into his cheek suggesting he had fallen asleep on top of something that was not clearly not meant to be fallen asleep on. Such as a pen.

He wore the same expression that Anise felt. 

“What are you doing on the floor?” was the first thing he managed to ask.

As she pulled herself upright, she held up her fiend of kitten, underwear and all.

Solas half groaned, half chuckled at the sight, and rubbed his face. “How much damage this time?”

“You are out two more pairs of briefs I’m afraid,” Anise said, yanking on the cloth lodged in Loki’s jaws. He was not about to give it  up.

“He can keep that pair,” Solas said stifling a yawn.

She tucked Loki under her arm. “I folded and guarded the rest of your stuff, it’s under my basket to prevent this guy from obliterating all your underwear.”

“Thank you, Anise. I apologize for making you feel like you had to take care of my clothes. I shouldn’t have forgotten them in here.”

“No big deal, we’ve all done it. Or at least I know I have,” she admitted with a soft laugh.

The way he studied her and it sent a pleasant chill down her spine.

“Do you always do your laundry at this hour?”

“I could easily ask you the same question,” Anise said, lifting the edge of her basket up to show him his folded clothes. Loki made a swipe for the nearest piece of clothing despite the underwear hanging in his mouth and Anise dropped the basket back down, “It seems you and I are always doing it at the same time.”

“My job gives me limited free time so I have to get it done at this hour, or risk not having enough clean clothing.I almost always get in late, or well would be it considered early at this point?”

“I think it’s context dependent,” Anise answered with a smile, “I’m in the same boat with my job and its hours.”

He hummed an acknowledgement behind a hand he raised to cover his mouth. He wasn’t very good at masking his tiredness. His yawn in turn caused Loki to yawn, and the underwear dropped out of his mouth and onto the floor.

“Oh my gods, I feel terrible that all I can do is keep apologizing,” she made to bend down but Solas stopped her with a gentle gesture, “I’ll buy you a fresh set to replace all the pairs this mischief maker has decimated.”

He gave her another one of those heart fluttering chuckles as he picked up his underwear, “While the thought it sweet, there is no need.”  He reached out to pet Loki, but shot Anise a glance asking permission first. She nodded. “It is a good thing you are so cute.”

Immediately, Loki leaned into Solas’ touch and began to purr. Solas laughed again and it nearly turned into a yawn. He shook his head. 

“How old did you say he was?” He rubbed under Loki’s jaw.

“Six months.”

“He is awfully small for six months, is he not?”

“When I found him, he was extremely underfed and ill. The Vet said that the malnourishment might impact his overall growth. But the Vet also suggested that he was the runt of his litter and was abandoned because no one was going to buy such a small little guy.” She leaned down and placed a small peck on Loki’s head. His purring got louder. “Hard to believe, huh?”

Solas smiled, “Very. He is charming, despite his destructive habits.”

Anise flushed with a surge of embarrassment all over again. “Solas, truly I’m sor--”

“Please, you don’t have to. I owned a cat once. I understand. And this time it was more my fault for leaving my clothing unattended too for so long.” He lifted the basket and scooped his clothing up, “Thank you for taking the time to fold them for me. Though I will admit I am a bit mortified that I made such a beautiful woman pick up after me when I am more than capable of doing so myself. I promise, it won’t happen again.”

Her heart stuttered.

He left her staring after him with Loki nuzzling her neck for attention now that he was gone.

“Loki, am I dreaming or did he just call me beautiful?”


	3. Chapter 3

Winter came early this year. Fresh snow meant more accidents on the roads, and that meant more bodies would be filling more beds in the hospital. Which meant longer hours for Anise, and many on-call rush ins, meaning she would be returning home when normal people would just be waking up to start their days.

After a particularly grueling six hour emergency surgery, she was released back into the world with orders to sleep and not return to the OR until the day after tomorrow. She carried herself and her freezing, soaking wet scrub pants up five flights of stairs because the elevator was down for a maintenance check, and hated every step of the way. That was until she bumped into Solas, who was in a rush. He always seemed to be in a rush.

“Pardon m--oh Anise,” he said, startled.

She imagined she must have looked just as bad as she felt. He looked impeccable, as almost usual. Save for the times he stumbled into the laundry room in a sleep deprived stupor. 

“Good morning Solas,” she managed to smile, hoping it didn’t look too terrifying, “off to a late start?”

“I overslept, but I should still be able to make it to work on time,” he glanced down at the watch on his right wrist, “granted the traffic is not too bad.”

Suddenly she was at full alert, “Please be careful driving! There were thirty six accidents yesterday, four of which resulted in five people requiring major surgeries. Please, I would much rather see you folding my underwear in the laundry room than in my OR.”

His resulting expression was a mix of confusion and amusement.

“Wait, pretend you didn’t hear that, I’m a bit frazzled at the moment, and…” she covered her face, cheeks heating up against her palms.

He offered her a soft smile. “I will tell my Uber driver to be careful on the roads on the way to the airport this morning.”

Anise peaked through her fingers, “You’re flying?”

Solas nodded, “I work in Arlathan, so it is necessary.”

She pulled her hands away to gape at him. “Arlathan? But that’s like, seven hours away! What are you doing living here?”

“It’s a bit of a long story,” he stole another look at his watch, “I’ll tell you over laundry when I return, if that is alright with you?”

Anise bit her lip to prevent herself from smiling too broadly. “Yeah, it’s a date.” Her stomach dropped what felt like a thousand feet. “I didn’t mean that.”

“Yes, I believe you did,” he said smugly as she stepped aside to let him pass.

Once he had gotten down another flight, she leaned over the railing and called down to him.

“215-383-7891!”

He paused mid step and glanced up.

“So you can text me when you land so I know you got there safely.”

The smile he gave her drove all the remaining cold out of her body.

“215-383-7891,” he echoed back and disappeared down the rest of the stairs.

Just over seven hours later, he let her know he had landed safely.

* * *

 

The next day she bought two sets of black boxerbriefs in his size and a greeting card. She stuffed underwear in a plain blue gift bag, and wrote his name in cursive on the outside.  The card she bought had a picture of an adorable kitten on the outside with a blank inside. She threw together a heartfelt apology and promised this would be her final one. She signed both her name and Loki’s before placing it inside the envelope. 

“I think this is a first for me,” she said conversationally to Loki, who was sitting on the table in front of her, sniffing the envelope, “I never bought a man underwear before.”

Before she had time to react, Loki bit the envelope. Anise yelped in surprise and yanked it back, pulling the kitten with her. Loki let go as she edge of the table came dangerously close to his front paws. 

“How fitting,” Anise said, running a thumb over the small bite marks on the top of the envelop, before sliding it into the gift bag, “now he definitely won’t think we’re sorry.”

Loki meowed and jumped down from the table in response. He sat impatiently by his food dish.

“I’ll feed you in thirty seconds, I just have to hang this on his door first.”

* * *

 

Anise closed the dryer door. Without Loki to interfere, she was able to get everything done much more quickly. Though she would admit, she missed his hairless, nosy butt poking around. “So, what is it you do exactly?”

“I am a pharmaceutical representative for the Evanuris Corporation. Their headquarters and located in Arlathan, hence why I frequently fly.” He emptied the rest of his basket into his machine and changed the settings before starting the cycle.

“EvaCorp,  _ seriously _ ?” Her increduous tone made him take pause. She was familiar with the company, a little too well. Evacorp, as the doctors referred to it, was the primary producer of nearly all the medications and drugs utilized at most hospitals across the region, often at expensive prices. And unfortunately they had the right to, as they had the most cutting edge formulas and the most current research available. Still dicks, but much needed ones.

“I can imagine your distaste… I recall you saying you worked in an OR, correct?”

“Yes, the one right across the street actually.”

He looked impressed. “So, I really should  be calling you Doctor Anise...?”

She laughed. “If you ever become my patient, which I hope you do not, I would ask you to refer to my title, Dr. Lavellan.”

“Excellent. Is this your permanent placement?”

“Not quite. I have two years left of my residency here in Haven. I don’t think I see myself staying here after that to be honest.”

“Where will you go? Orlais? Antiva?”

“I have connections at the Emerald Graves Center, they’ve been begging me to consider them for a fellowship. So I could see myself settling there. If Orlais offered me a position I might die from sheer shock!”

“Hmm.” If he had any opinions, he kept them to himself. 

“So you work for the big bad drug company selling us much needed medications for insane prices, but live  _ here _ ?”

This earned her a subtle grin. It gave her the impression he did no smile much, or at all for that matter. Which was a shame, because she thought his smile was quite handsome. 

“I find it the environment in Haven quaint and relaxing, which is much more desirable than that of the atmosphere of Arlathan nowadays. Arlathan has become… different than it used to be.”

“Yeah, it’s become a “must see” tourist zone,” she said in jest, but saw the smile slowly fade.

“It wasn’t always.”

“Are you originally from Arlathan?”

“Yes,” he said, some light returning to his eyes, “in a suburb to the North. I grew up in its streets, watched it blossom and thrive. And now…”

“While tourists are annoying, they mean well I’m sure. Wouldn’t you want people from all over the world to learn about Arlathan’s rich culture and history?”

He glanced down at the shirt he was folding. “Yes, you are correct. I…,” he took more time than he needed to fold the sleeve, “I just don’t want the city itself to lose its history...or have it get erased.”

She bumped his hip and he gave her a pointed look.

“We can only preserve the past, not continue to live in it. That’s a good thing.”

“Perhaps I am just old and afraid to live in the future.” He set aside the shirt into the pile of already folded clothes.

Anise smiled, “Possibly. But you’re not that old.”

Another rare smile graced his features, “Compared to you, I am ancient.”

“Oh, ancient?” Anise teased, turning to face him with a hand on her hip, “should I be calling you  _ Hahren _ , then?”

His ears turned the loveliest shade of pink as he hastily restacked his already folded clothes. “That will not be necessary.”

She giggled as the color of his face burned brighter with each passing second.

“How old are you?” she asked, placing her clean pile of clothes back into her own basket.

“Much too old to be flirting in a laundry room at this hour.” He smiled at his pile of clothing before glancing to side at her. 

She in turn gave him a skeptical stare.

“I easily have over a decade on you,” he said.

“Okay, so you’d have to be older than thirty-eight?” she hedged, “No way.” 

“Forty,” he answered quietly.

“That’s not old, last time I checked,” Anise hefted her laundry basket onto her hip, “give yourself more credit,  _ Hahren _ .” She decided she really loved making him blush. 

And with that she sauntered out.


	4. Chapter 4

Their laundry schedules didn’t sync up again for a few weeks, but they kept in frequent communication. If they caught each other in the hall, they always made time for at least a few minutes to chat. 

“Please try to get some sleep on the plane,” Anise said, leaning against the doorframe of the laundry room, another ruined pair of boxerbriefs in her hand and a smug Loki perched on her shoulder. 

He locked his apartment and pocketed his keys as he turned to face her. “I can make no promises.”

Anise bit back a smile. Clearly he had been in a rush, was still a rush, for his tie was askew and the top button was buttoned wrong. 

“If you are on call, I hope nothing happens to bring you in,” he said, switching his briefcase to his left hand, “perhaps you should try and get some sleep as well.” 

Her heartbeat bumped up a notch when he gave her a warm smile and polite nod as a way goodbye. 

“Wait,” she called, stepping forward and grabbing his elbow to tug him back, “you cannot board a plane or attend a meeting looking like this.” She threw the ruined briefs over her vacant shoulder and reached for his collar.

“Ah, what? _Oh--_ ”

Her fingers loosened his crooked tie, and unbuttoned the mixed up buttons. He went stiff. His surprised huff of breath hit her cheek, sending a shiver down her spine. After rebuttoning his shirt, she looped the soft fabric of his tie properly, pulling it snug to his collar. She ran her hand down its length to smooth is out against his shirt. She lingered there a second too long before she realized it. But he definitely noticed, for she could feel his heart rapidly fluttering beneath her palm. 

She quickly retracted from him, feeling the tips of her ears burn. The interaction left his mouth slightly agape and cheeks tinted pink. After a second he recovered, clearing his throat. 

“Thank you,” he said quietly, tracing the path her hand had taken down his tie with his own.

She tucked a strand of loose hair behind her too warm ear, “It was nothing. You, ah, you better get going! Don’t want to miss your flight.”

“Yes, that would be… less than favorable.”

Anise chuckled, “Go.”

He gave an awkward wave, looking over his shoulder at her as he rushed down the stairwell. 

A loud meow sounded off by her ear.

“Shut. Up.”

* * *

 

And when they weren’t in person, they still managed to make time to talk to each other.

Anise would receive a picture of the Arlathan skyline at dawn from various angles with an elven subtitle she would have to decipher every couple days from Solas. Sometimes he would send her pictures of his favorite places, his favorite foods from the city, or of the monuments while breaking for lunch. Her dyslexia made it no easy task, but she enjoyed the challenge.  In return she would send him pictures of Loki. Loki sleeping on his back with his legs in the air on top of the microwave, Loki kneading her stomach while she was laying on the couch, Loki in his new green sweater she knitted with longer sleeves to keep him warm in the colder weather, Loki destroying a ball of yarn she bought to make him the sweater. She had no shortage of Loki material to go around. 

Loki’s sweater hadn’t been the only one she had been knitting lately, though she did her best to keep it from Solas. She figured that she had already bought the man underwear, so making him a sweater as a gift for the upcoming holiday would be appropriate. From what she had seen of his wardrobe it was abysmally formal and stiff.  A nice, cozy sweater would be a nice addition, or so she rationalized. What color to make it took her the most time to decide. Her first choice would have been green, but realized she made Loki green sweaters, so that color was claimed already. And she did not want her bald kitten and the bald man she was harboring a crush on to be dressed identically. She wished she knew his favorite color, and thought about asking him via text, but didn’t want to seem obvious that she was up to something. 

She had gotten about a third of his sweater done on her day off when there was a knock on the door. Her first instinct was to immediately reach out and feel for Loki to make sure he was still in her apartment. He was. Draped over the arm of her couch, lazily blinking the last of his dreams from his eyes. 

She stuffed the partial sweater into a crevice in the couch and covered it with a pillow. She compulsively tucked strands of hair that had fallen loose from the bun atop her head, wishing she would have at least run a comb through it before getting to the door. Solas had said he wouldn’t be returning for another day, but her heart seemed to ignore that fact hoping he might have returned home early. Peering through the peep hole, she couldn’t deny that her heart sank when she saw it wasn’t Solas.

“Ms. Ruiz, good morning,” she greeted the elderly woman as she opened her door.

“Buenos dias Anise, I baked you these.” She pushed a tin into Anise’s arms. It was warm. “Fresh from the oven. Be good and share them with that man down the hall I’ve seen you hanging ‘round with.”

“What? Ms. Rui--”

“Don’t ‘Ms. Ruiz’ me, I know things.” She tapped her temple with a crooked finger, and grinned.

“Fine,” Anise sighed, opening the tin a crack to smell the freshly baked cookies. They smelled heavenly. “When he gets in from his flight, I’ll let him know about the cookies.”

“That’s my girl.”

"Your decorations are lovely as always," Anise commented, pointing to the hall behind her elderly neighbor. Beautiful ornaments had been hung from the ceiling, as well as tinsel and lights, giving the sterile hallway a much warmer feel. Anise noticed that everyone's door had a wreath hung on it, including her own.

"Oh thank you, sweet thing," Ms. Ruiz smiled proudly, "This place needs more cheer. Everyone seems to rushing around, barely enjoying themselves. I just," she sighed, "I just want to make seem a little brighter."

"You've outdone yourself."

A mischevious glint appeared her eyes, "Including the laundry room."

Anise fought the response to blush and lost.  "Goodbye, Ms. Ruiz."

Anise watched as Ms. Ruiz crossed the hall, laughing to herself, and knocked on the door opposite. The man who lived there was rumored to be a former Grey Warden, which made people weary of interacting with him. If Ms. Ruiz knew, she didn’t let it bother her. He did not get very many people knocking at his door. In fact, Anise wasn’t sure if she had seen anyone visit him. She felt guilty for not being a better neighbor, but she rarely had time for socializing outside her job. As she closed her door, her neighbor opened his. His blonde hair was a mess and he looked like he hadn’t slept in days. She wondered what he was up to cooped up in there. _Ms. Ruiz was right about us_ , Anise thought. She shrugged and stole a cookie out of the tin and bit into it. 

Loki jumped from his perch and meandered around her feet, mewling.

“I’m sorry baby, but these are not for kitties,” she said through a mouthful of delectable sugar cookie.


	5. Chapter 5

It was now, or never.

His sweater laid completed and wrapped with snowflake wrapping paper on her kitchen table. She had finished it that morning, much to her relief. For a brief span of time she worried she’d never be able to finish it, as she practically lived in the hospital the last few days. She paced back and forth in front the table, wondering if it was even worth bothering him on the night of Wintersend. What if he had company? What if he was sleeping? What if he didn’t celebrate it?

She knew he was home, he had told her he would because Evacorp was closed for the holiday. But she did not pry at his plans, not feeling comfortable enough to insert herself into his business just yet. Though she so badly wanted to.

Loki gave her an encouraging mewl.

“What if he hates it, Loki?” She bit her lip, crossing and uncrossing her arms. She had even put a stupid red bow on the present, which she was now glaring at.

Loki rubbed up against her belly and let another series of quieter meows.

“I know, I know you’re right. If I don’t do this, I’m a coward and I’m destined to die alone.”

Loki headbutted her elbow.

“Well, not alone, I have you.” She scratched her kitten behind his ears and he purred, rubbing his head along the inside of her palm, which was bigger than he was. He stepped towards the gift, arching his back into her hand. He raised a paw and hesitantly reached for the bow.

“I already made you a sweater,” she laughed pulling Loki back and laying a quick peck on his forehead. 

She picked up the gift and banished her nervousness with a quick roll of her shoulders.  “Wish me luck, I’m going to do it.”

She could still hear his meow through her door as it closed behind her. Clutching the sweater to her chest, she took one steadying breath and marched down the hall. His door had a teal wreath with holly berries peeking out behind pine needles around it.. The edges of the wreath had been spray painted to appear frosted. 

She raised her hand to knock and heard the laundry room door behind her open.

“Anise?”

She spun to face Solas, tucking the gift behind her back.

“Solas! I was just, uh,” she stammered, distracted entirely by what she saw before her. He was backlit from the lights in the laundry room, causing his slender frame to be basked in a warm glow. He dressed in finely pressed pants and a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled revealing his forearms. He looked sharp in contrast the gentle bloom surrounding him, with an empty laundry basket tucked under one arm. Finally after a second of gawking she spoke.

“You’re doing laundry on Wintersend?”

“Honestly, I have nothing better to do,” he admitted, a sheepish grin forming at her reaction.

“Seriously?”

“Seriously, I actually have no other plans. I rarely do on holidays…so” his half smile grew, “May I help you with something? Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems you were about to knock on my door.”

“Yes, I ah, wanted to catch you before dinner so that I could give you this.” She brought his gift out from behind her back. “I made it. For you. For Wintersend. I hope you like it.”

Surprise replaced his amusement on his features as she hurried forward to place the present into his laundry basket and rushed back.  “You don’t have to open it now, I just wanted to make sure you got it in time, or that I didn’t disrupt you and your plans later.” 

“Anise….” He glanced down at the bow and the smile returned to his face once more. “Running into you is a gift in and of itself. Thank you for thinking of me.”

She shifted her weight as she met his gaze. He was very tall, she realized, having to tilt her head up to look him in the eyes, his beautifully blue, tired but adoring eyes. A tiny part of her melted  over the heart wrenching fact her impromptu visit was the highlight of his holiday. And looking up, she noticed something else that send her heart skyrocketing, hovering just behind his left ear, and silently cursed Ms. Ruiz, finally understanding what she meant about not leaving out the laundry room from her decorations. Anise was sure if she measured her blood pressure in that moment, it would have broken the  sphygmomanometer. His brows knit in confusion as she gaped at the mistletoe hanging above him, and followed her line of sight to see what she was staring at.

A soft, ‘ _ oh _ ’ formed on his mouth.

_ Now or never _ , her thoughts from earlier echoed in her head. So she made a choice.

Closing the small space between them, she reached up and slipped a hand along his jaw, guiding his face back down. She stood on her toes to meet him and pressed her lips to his. They were soft and warm, and felt even better than she could have imagined placed upon hers. Something came alive within her, a fluttering surge that battered around the confines of ribs at the sensation of his mouth on hers. It could have only lasted a second before the cloud clatter of his laundry basket hitting the floor beside them startled her out of it.  She pulled back, eyes blown wide with panic at what she had just done.

“I… I’m…” Words utterly failed her as her mind raced well past forming coherent sentences.

_ She had just kissed him! _

She made to turn, with the full intention of fleeing back to the safety of her apartment where she could melt into a embarrassed puddle of bad decisions and smother her face in a pillow of shame, but a strong arm caught her waist and reeled her back.

Before she could quite register it, his fingers had twined into hair, holding the back of her head in a soft grasp as he slated his mouth against hers.  _ He was kissing her back _ . She sighed into the press of his lips, going pliant in his arms. Her heart skipped a beat as his tongue swiped along the swell of her lower lip, pulling at her tenderly. Sensing what he wanted, she parted them. Everything fluttered within her as he took the admission and dove in. Her mind reeled as she surrendered into his embrace. That searing sensation blossomed once more in her chest. He was everywhere and all over. The arm that had been wrapped around her waist dropped lower, pulling her flush against him. His mouth was hot and needy, and she realized so was she. She gripped his collar in a tight fist, as her other hand roamed the broad planes of his back through his shirt, tracing the blades of his shoulders with her finger tips, earning her a moan.

When he pulled away, he left her gasping, trailing after him. Flushed and incredibly flustered, he looked just as winded as she felt.

“Forgive me,” he stammered, attempting to disentangle himself from her.

The overwhelming realization that she was not ready to be let go of slammed into her like train. 

“Never.”  

She yanked on that stiff collar of his, pulling him down to her mouth again fervently. Within moments, she was wrapped up in him all over again. He barely even hesitated, as if that solitary word was all the encouragement he needed to stay. He spun her through the doorway of the laundry room and thrust her against the door. As her back hit the wood his hands slid into place on either side of her face, palms against her cheek anchoring her in place. He captured her mouth again, this time even more passionately, which she had not realized was possible until that moment. He was all consuming, ravenous, and demanding. She allowed her leg to slid up his calf, a daring move but at this point, all sense had been abandoned. She needed him apparently as much as he needed her. A hand dropped from her cheek to her neck. He caressed the exposed skin, tracing a line over her collarbone with his thumb. His breath hitched when she placed her hand over his and guided him lower.

He then defintively pulled away then, resting his forehead against her as they caught their breath.

“Do you have plans for dinner,” he asked, ardently.

“No.”

“Would you like to have dinner with me?”

She smiled so brightly it almost hurt. “I thought you’d never ask.”

 

* * *

 

As it had turned out, neither of them had enough food in their fridge to constitute a holiday meal. It was a mutual agreement on ordering out, though Solas insisted he pay for it. He caught her trying to sneak a few bills into his pocket, and used it as an excuse to place a chaste kiss on her knuckles before pushing her hand holding the money away.  They decided her apartment would be the better choice. He had paperwork scattered across his kitchen and Anise had Loki in hers. While out getting their Rivani take out, Anise lectured Loki on being on his best behavior, which was more of a thinly veiled lecture for herself to be on her best behavior. 

The magic of their intimate foray lingered throughout the meal. It crept across her skin everytime they held each other gaze longer than they should have.

“Why is it you are alone tonight? Surely you have family to be with? A Clan?” he asked conversationally, dipping a piece of warmed pita into what was left of his curry. Loki perched in his lap, little paws resting on the kitchen table as his head leaned forward to sniff at Solas’ food.

She smiled at the kitten as his nose crinkled. “I do, but it’s complicated,” she waved her hand dismissively. His brow arched inquisitively. She held back a chuckle. “They are in the process of settling in Wycome, so everyone is preoccupied with legal matters. My visit would be an extra burden, I wouldn’t want my family to drop everything and make extra arrangements when they barely have the time. Also, my job doesn’t exactly permit me the luxury of taking far trips. I can’t just drive out, it would take days.” She shrugged and pushed around the vegetables in her bowl, “and flying is expensive.”

“You are a doctor, Anise.”

“A doctor with lots of med school loans,” she stated with slight roll of her eyes. 

“In time, it won’t be a cause for concern.”

“I know,” she sighed. “It’s just a very demanding job. And isolating.” 

“I more than understand the feeling,” he said, quietly. 

Her lips quirked into a suggestive smile. “You made that quite clear in the laundry room.” 

He choked on his pita. A pink glow rose to color his cheeks as he took a sip of water and she couldn’t help but let out an amused hum.

“I apologize for the way I handled myself,” he said, setting aside his glass, “the kiss was impulsive and ill-considered. I should not have encouraged it to that level.”

“And yet you did. You’re the one who started with tongue.” Her smile slipped into something more smug as his blush deepened.

“I did no--”

She ushered a challenge with her eyes, leaning back into her chair as if daring him to argue.

He laughed and glanced down, “I did, didn’t I?” He asked Loki, who was purring like a diesel truck against his stomach. “It has been a long time,” he said, returning his focus to her, “since I… well…” He cleared his throat and started stacking their styrofoam containers and placing them within the carryout bag.

“Well, there is another thing we have in common,” she reached across the table and covered his hand with hers, “it’s been a while since I’ve been with anyone either.”

He looked down at their clasped hands. His thumb stroked her skin gently roaming over each of her knuckles with tender care. 

“If… if you would not mind, I would like to take things slow,” he said, tilting his head, “I’m bit… out of practice and old fashioned…”

She squeezed his hand, “You? Old-fashioned? I never would have guessed.” Her smart remark earned her an endearing glare. “I tease.”

“I’m aware,” he murmured and stood, still holding her hand. Loki lept onto the table to investigate the bag with their trash. She followed suit, letting him guide her around the table to stand in front of him. He cupped her chin in his palm and her heart stuttered. A flicker of desire danced in his eyes, but she could tell he was keeping it at bay. 

“I don’t want to rush and ruin what could be,” he whispered as he leaned down to brush lips against hers. She went weak in the knees as the subtle contact. “As I am prone to.”

“Take all the time you need,” she breathed into him, sliding a hand up his chest, feeling it swell beneath her palm. He pulled her slowly into another steady, heated kiss. It’s burn was gradual as he mapped out what it felt like to move against mouth, the shape of her lips as they met each push and pull of his own. And before the flame could blaze out of control, he broke it off. 

“Goodnight, Anise. Happy Wintersend.”

An irritated yowl sounded off behind them.

“And you too, Loki.”

 

* * *

 

 

Anise took two risks and nearly regretted them both. It was not like her to be impulsive. In the O.R. where life or death decisions needed to be made, she considered her actions to be well calculated though they might appear impulsive as she was quick on her feet, and even faster in her mind. 

The first risk was not made in an operating room, it was made in a thrift store. 

She had just gotten off a grueling shift and decided fresh air would be good for her. A patient had been lost, and she was taking it as a personal failure so a  walk along the main line was much needed. She chalked it up to as a form of therapy. Retail therapy.

 

The dress was stunning, she had to admit. And once she put it on, she knew she was doomed. It was an older elven design, meaning the upper half was sleeveless and form fitting. The skirt flared from her waist to just below mid thigh. The high collar wasn’t uncomfortable at all, though she expected it to be. The part she liked best about the dress was the design left the back open.

Her second, was perhaps even more foolish than the first. She had no reason to buy the vintage dress. She cursed herself for justifying the purchase with the thought that Solas might like it. She wasn’t normally the type to buy things to impress partners. But this dress… it felt right. Like it had been waiting for her in that store for the day she would walk by.

The lighting in the fitting room had been ideal, too ideal. So the picture she took looking over her shoulder, exposing her bare back and the flare of the skirt turned out better than she thought. And because it turned out to be flattering…

She hated herself a tiny bit for sending the picture to him. It was impulsive. 

And she wasn’t impulsive.

She wasn’t.

She didn’t check her phone until much later that night. He had asked to take things slow… and they had been up until she sent that picture. The picture itself wasn’t even risque, she often reminded herself throughout the day, it was just...taking things up a notch. Their schedules made it difficult to find time to spend together, and hanging out in the laundry seemed to be their only opportunity. Not that she minded, she didn’t exactly have the availability for anything more unless… well, unless they moved a bit further in their budding relationship. She tried not to dwell on the what if’s and the could be’s, distracting herself with other chores she needed to get done. When she finally did check her phone again it was well after dinner had been made and eaten; after Loki had been bathed, spoiled, and pampered. (He loved his baths, surprisingly, and loved cuddling in a warm towel in her arms even more.)

She had three messages waiting for her. All from Solas. All hours old.

 

_ Was this meant for me? _

[5:41pm]

 

_ Dare I say I hope it was?  _

[5:41pm]

 

_ You are so beautiful. _

[5:42pm]

 

She buried her face beneath the sweatshirt she was wearing feeling her face heat up. And after a moment responded.

 

Yes

[8:13pm]

 

It was a rough day so my common sense had run out. I had no real reason to buy it other than I thought it was pretty _. _

[8:13pm]

 

_ It is stunning, Anise. The teal brings out the color in your eyes. _

[8:14pm]

 

Thank you

[8:16pm]

 

_ You said you had no reason to buy the dress…. Would you like me to give you one? _

[8:22pm]

 

Yes

[8:22pm]

 

_ Even if that reason would be me asking you out on an outdated, old fashioned date? _   
[8:24pm] 

 

She snorted, spooking Loki out of his sleepy daze on her belly.

  
Especially if that reason would be an outdated, old-fashioned date.   
[8:25pm]


	6. Chapter 6

They scheduled a date for the following week. Anise used a personal day to ensure she wouldn’t have any conflicts. Taking time for herself felt strange, as it wasn’t something she normally did but this time it was justified. Having a good portion of the day to kill before having to get ready nearly drove her crazy. She cleaned her kitchen twice, scrubbed Loki’s litterbox to pristine perfection, and took a long and luxurious bath, finally using one of the bath bombs her mother hair sent her for the holiday.

Solas had not let her know where he intended on taking her out, only that she was instructed to wear stockings and comfortable but dressy shoes as she would be on her feet most of the night. And of course, to wear the dress. The logical conclusion she drew was that they were going dancing. Her heart did little flip flops at the thought of getting to spend the night twirling around in his arms, breathless, flushed, and enchanted.

She couldn’t remember the last time she actually put effort into dressing up, so she allowed herself the indulgence. Her hair she pulled into a high ponytail and curled the ends, rendering it stylish but functional if she were to be active. She had to buy new mascara because her old tube gone dry from disuse. Her lipstick though was still in perfect condition as she had never opened it. Seeing herself all dolled up excited her. Giddiness slowly bubbled in her chest as the minutes of the afternoon passed by. 

It wasn’t until she put on the dress that her nerves decided to flare. The fabric was smooth against her skin and slid snugly into place along her torso, skirt falling gracefully into place. Her reflection startled her. She did a spin in front of the mirror and the dress flared dramatically around her thighs before settling back just above her knees, hoping it might banish the nervousness.

“Loki, are you sure I look okay?” She asked the kitten who was sitting on her dresser, watching her aptly.

He mewled loudly from where he lay perched. 

She crossed to him, noting how the skirt swished as she moved. “I’ll take your word for it, but if this night tanks I’m blaming you,” she cooed, nuzzling his head with her nose. His little sandpaper tongue lapped at her chin reassuringly.

At six o’clock sharp a series of knocks echoed in her apartment. She rushed to her door, the knots in her stomach writhing as she reached for the handle. A hand shot up to her ear to tuck a phantom strand of hair but when she found none she dropped it back to the knob..With a sweeping gesture, she finally opened the door. Her heart soared as his composed expression melted into one of awe. In his hands was a small bunch of sweet pea, which he offered her with a slight inclination of his head. She took them graciously and let him into the entryway as she quickly went to find a makeshift vase. She had no need for any before--no one ever brought her flowers. The notion pulled at her heart endearingly. It took her a minute but she found a mason jar large enough and placed the flowers on top of the fridge--not before tracing the edge of a petal and smelling them. She explained hurriedly as she turned back to him that if she left them out on the table Loki would surely eat them all. 

“Ah, we most definitely want to avoid that,” he replied with a subtle smile, “but won’t he be able to reach the top there?”

“I have yet to seem him try, so they should be safe--for the time being.”

After a quick goodbye to Loki, who meowed as if having a conversation with them, Anise locked up and found her hand sliding into his as they headed to the stairwell. Her heart fluttered at the simple contact.

“Dinner is being served where we are going,” he explained as they descended the four flights of stairs to exit their apartment complex, “I forgot to mention it before.”

“A mysterious place that serves food and has a dance floor?”

“Ah, so you have guessed.”

“Comfortable shoes and a nice dress with my only hint being it’s old-fashioned type date? It wasn’t hard to figure out.”

He hummed in amusement.

“The only thing I haven’t been able to figure out is  _ where _ you’re taking me.”

“You’ll just have to wait until we get there,” he teased, a small laugh escaping him as she gave an exaggerated pout.

They took a cab into the heart of Haven, to a block she recognized but had never been down. The city itself was on the smaller side, but still had enough blocks to make it impossible to cover simply by walking. Despite her year of living in the city, there were still portions of it she had yet to explore, such as this block.The building they pulled up to was lit brightly. Loud big band music could be heard from the street once her door was opened. She placed the genre immediately and gasped with delight. 

“It’s a  _ swing _ dance!” She squeezed his hand she had been holding since he helped her out of the car.

“Have you ever been?”

“No,” she said, excitement growing with every step they took up the entryways, “but some of my coworkers at the hospital have gone and told me about it, it’s becoming quite trendy again. They say it’s grand!”

He smiled sweetly down at her as he held the door open. “It is.”

The hall the dance was being held reminded her of home. It had been designed to make the patrons feel like they were outside under the stars, with beautiful trees in every corner of the room and string lights hung from the ceiling.  Her clan would hold festivals each season where everyone danced for hours on end, drank and sang. The dances she participated in back with her Clan were much different from the ones she was about to partake in, this much she was sure, but at least she had some practice stepping in time and keeping rhythm. Swing dancing couldn’t have been too much harder. 

For the first few minutes, she simply watched the lively crowd from the ticket line. There were leads and followers, which was familiar to her, but each couple on the floor seemed to being doing a slightly different version of a simliar dance to the same song. Improvisation seemed to be a theme she noted, one she would have to adapt to. Some of the dancers were quite experienced, as they maneuvered expertly across the hall with fast footwork, tight spins and even  _ flips _ , the partners’ eyes locked on each other the whole way. While a few other people seemed to fail at the dance expertly, not daring to try move to risk beside a basic box step, but still managed to look like they were having fun. It was nice to know someone of average skill, like her, would fit in just fine. By the time she had the sense to tear her eyes away from the dancers Solas had already bought her ticket and was ushering her to a table in the corner of the room. She pestered him only for a moment about not letting her buy at least her ticket before relenting and letting him have his way. 

“You seem a bit overwhelmed,” he said, coming to stand beside her.

“What gives it away?” She asked light heartedly, knowing it must have been evident on her face, trailing back to follow a couple as the lead flipped his partner before pulling her back into a closed position 

“I think the wide eyed halla-in-the-headlights look your sporting, while cute, is more than damning.”

She chuckled at his comparison. “That bad, huh?”

His mouth twitched at the corner. “Not bad, you are still as beautiful as ever. But when you smile, it is much harder to tell you are nervous.”

Her heart leaped at his compliment. 

“If the woman who taught me to dance were here, she would most likely tell you the first time she took me dancing that I looked quite the same.”

“Beautiful?” She teased.

He sighed and gave her a Look. “You know what I am getting at.”

“I know,” she muttered through a smile, reaching up to smooth out the collar of his button down shirt. His chest swelled when her dropped to linger over his sternum. She didn’t miss the flare that danced in his eyes. 

_ Sensitive neck _ , she thought idly, tucking the piece of information away.

“Are you ready?” He held out a hand and stepped back in mock bow.

She beamed at him, pushing down some of her nerves as she placed her hand in his, “No, but the only way I’ll ever be is if I just dive in.”

“No flips,” he said, reading her mind.

“No flips, please.” She gave him a sheepish smile. 

She quickly learned that Solas wasn’t just a good dancer, he was an excellent one. He led in such a way that made it easy for her to follow, but knew was making her look like a better dancer than she truly was. She laughed breezily as she misstepped but somehow he had managed to keep her on track and her mistake barely slowed them down at all. He spun her outwards, making her dress billow before pulling her back into a closed position, his hand finding a home on her bare lower back to tuck her close to him. A small spark ignited in lower abdomen, filling her with warmth that had nothing to do with the dancing.  He leaned in to whisper in her ear.

“I feel I must warn you, not everyone dances like I do,” he pulled away as he spun her outwards and back again, “some leads love to whip their partners with unnecessary force while others…” he trailed off and she giggled as he rolled his eyes, “to put it frankly, are terrible at dancing and have no idea what they are doing in the slightest.”

She feigned offense, “Are you planning on ditching me for a new partner?” She knew from dances with her Clan, dancers exchange partners every other dance or so. It was just part of the fun.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said, pulling back to twirl her under his arm, “but others will ask you to dance and if you want the full experience, I won’t deny you.”

His smoldering gaze held her suspended in that moment, locked against his body, and she quickly decided she wasn’t going to approach anyone else--and didn’t want him to either. 

“If you do dance with someone else and they try to make you do a move you don’t feel comfortable with,” he dropped her hand and they fell out of step with one another, “simply drop your hand. The lead will understand.”  With his left hand that was still holding one of her own, he tugged at her gently to step back into his arms. 

“I don’t plan on dancing with anyone else,” she whispered into his ear, brushing her nose against his cheek.

“You say that now,” he murmured, and before she could reply he whipped her around once more. Her laugh was lost to the music as the band crescendoed into the final bar of the song.

She discovered it was hard to hold a conversation while dancing. Breathing was much more important. But if song style changed, Solas always brought her in close to whisper the type of dance in her ear, though it mattered little as she didn’t know them. He knew as much, and always went a little slow, as if teaching her the steps before letting the music whisk them away. She couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt at the stray thought that she might be holding him back from dancing to his full potential, but he stuck to his word and danced with no one else with a positively blissful smile on his face.

They danced until she ran out of breath and a light sheen of sweat at formed along the crest of her hairline. He effortlessly guided them across the hall to where the refreshments were. They filled their plates and snagged bottles of water and retreated to their little corner table to eat. 

“I hope some of your nerves have dissipated now,” he said conversationally, pushing around a piece of onion that had fallen out of his sandwich with a knife.

“They have, you are an excellent lead.”

His eyes grew bright at the compliment. “Thank you. You are better than you give yourself credit for Anise.”

Something in the way he said her name, or perhaps just hearing him say her name, sent a bolt of heat straight to her core. Her stomach fluttered at the sensation, and she quickly crossed her legs to ease some of the budding tension. 

She shook her head. “I think the credit goes to you  _ Hahren _ ,” he shot her warning glance but his tint of his cheeks betrayed his feelings, “you are my teacher tonight, so the title is appropriate,” she bantered. 

“So it would seem,” he hesitated, “ _ da’len _ .”

It was her turn to blush. “Oh, no, hold on,” she dabbed at her mouth with a napkin waving a finger at him, “I am not a  _ da’len _ , you don’t get to call me that.”

He raised a brow, lips twitching into the smallest of smiles. “So she can dish it out but can’t take it.”

“It’s not that I can’t, it’s just I don’t want to be called….oh.” His point sunk in. He didn’t  _ want _ to be called Hahren. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it made you uncomfortable, I won’t say it again,” she promised, guilt knocking out the heat from her body.

“It’s not that it makes me uncomfortable per se, I… I am unsure of how to feel about it and that makes me uncomfortable,” he explained, “I would prefer not to be called it that until I figure it out.”

“Of course.” She wrung her hands under the table as she searched for a different topic to talk about. “So, who taught you to dance?”

The levity in his eyes dulled, replaced with something heavier. Before she could study it he looked away to the dance floor. 

“My dearest friend,” he said, shifting in his seat, “she was a spectacular dancer.” A ghost of a smile tugged at his mouth, “I was young and reckless, and she often scolded me for not having ‘better hobbies’.” He caught her gaze, and in it she saw it was sorrow he was trying to hide, “She kept me out of trouble by going to these. We learned together.”

“You? Reckless in your youth? Who would have guessed?”

He smiled truly at that. “You should have seen me back then, cocky, rash, always ready for a fight. I grew out of it obviously. I guess I have her to thank for that. I’ll be forever grateful to have had a friend like her.”

“Had?”

His smile turned faded as quickly as it had formed and she wished she could take back her question.

“She passed away, last year,” he answered, glancing down at his empty plate, “she contracted the Blight.”

Anise’s heart shattered.  _ The Blight _ .

She knew too intimately the suffering the disease brought, as many lives had been lost in her hospital during the last outbreak. Entire floors needed to be quarantined and staff had to wear hazmat suits to protect themselves from contracting it. It was a never ending nightmare, or so it seemed. It was thanks to a doctor in Redcliffe who sacrificed themselves to develop a cure they even were able to end the epidemic.

“Did she not receive the cure in time?”

“She did but… the strain she had was resistant to the medication. The doctors at her hospital were too…” he paused searching for the right word, “naive to realize until it was too late.”

Her hands surged forward before she could process she was moving and clasped his. “Solas, I...I am so sorry.”

There were always a seldom few for which the antibiotic did not work. 

He gripped her hands tight. “I figured it would come up, I haven’t been dancing since she died though I’ve missed it. I thought… that if made new memories with someone I cared for, it wouldn’t hurt as much.” He released her hands and stood, collecting their plates. “There is nothing to apologize for, Anise.  I was right.” He offered her a sweet smile, one without a hint of sorrow this time. “And she would be happy knowing I did.”

She watched him walk away, vowing to pick a happier topic to talk about on their first date. If he wanted new memories, she would more than gladly give him as many as she could.  _ What a lonely man he must be _ , she thought her herself as her heart ached. 

“S’cuse me miss, would you like to dance?” 

The question startled her out of her reverie and she snapped her head to the voice it belong to. A Tall and limber looking Qunari was offering his hand to her with a hopeful smile plastered on his face. She fumbled a response, something along the lines of  _ I’d love to but _ , and shot a glance back to where Solas had wandered off. He was talking with a dwarf by the trash can. He must have felt the weight of her stare for her turned, mid sentence to return her gaze. His mouth broke into a crooked smile and gave her an encouraging nod. When she didn’t budge, he mouthed the words ‘ _ go dance _ ’.

“I’d love to,” she reiterated more clearly, and hesitantly took the stranger’s hand as he led her onto the floor.

She quickly understood what Solas meant by people having different kinds of leading styles. The man before her, whom she learned was named Kaaras, was a heavy handed lead. Meaning he whipped Anise around almost like a ragdoll, his turns were wide and fast. She had to adjust from Solas’ seemingly effortless but commanding style, or risk losing her balance and go off careening into a table.

At the end of the song, she thanked the Kaaras profusely, hoping she didn’t seem too out of breath and overwhelmed, and made a beeline back for her table with Solas. But before she got very far she was intercepted, this time by another elf. She hesitated to accept his dance but gave in. Solas was on the outskirts of the floor talking with an dalish woman the dwarf introduced him to. 

Her new partner seemed much less daunting than Kaaras. His face was bare, and his sandy hair kept falling into his eyes. She discovered his style of dancing was quite the opposite of her Qunari’ partner’s. His manner of leading was weak, barely gripping her hands and keeping too loose of a stance. She could barely read what direction he wanted her to dance in, and they ended up awkwardly stepping in circles around each other, with a twirl thrown in every once in a while. 

She caught solas’ eye again as he led the woman he had previously been talking to out onto the floor. He wasn’t even trying to hide the smirk on his face as he watched her. She could have sworn she saw him mouth ‘ _ watch this _ ’ before he started dancing.

Envy flooded her as her jaw dropped. Thinking he was a good dancer was almost an insult to the true talent he had. He came alive as he stepped, spun, and hopped to the rhythm of the music. His partner was obviously no stranger to dancing either, matching every fanficful step he made as she followed him through the song. She could stop staring at them as they owned the floor with their intricate footwork and chemistry. Anise hoped she looked half as good dancing with Solas as this other woman. 

At the end of the song, she once again thanked her partner and dodged two other potential leads as she made her way back to the table and grabbed her bottle of water. She was content to settle in and watch Solas for the time being. It seemed like every partner he danced with, whether female or male, Elven, human, or any race present for that matter, was made to dance with him. Effortless, she thought to herself he could describe his dancing style. She admired his lean figure as he wove in and out of her view in the crowd, the expanse of his shoulders as they moved beneath his white shirt and vest. Her eyes followed the way his vest fit him snugly along his torso. Her gaze dropped to hips.

“I’m doomed,” she sighed to herself, resting her chin in the palm of her hand as she dreamily watched his figure glide across the room.

The universe must have been out to get her because no sooner had the words left her mouth did he look over in her direction and catch her in the act of checking him out. Time stopped as she forgot how to breathe. The smug expression on his face assured her he knew exactly what she was doing, and what she was thinking. With each step he took to cross the room to their table her heart beat louder and she was so sure he would be able to hear it when he got there. Her face burned with indignation that she got caught staring at his ass. 

He didn’t say a word as he approached. He didn’t need to. His eyes said it all. And when he extended his hand she took it gingerly, averting her eyes to anything but his. He tilted her chin up with a finger, forcing her to meet his gaze. 

“Will you be mine for the rest of the night, Anise?”

His lilting voice had more sway over her than she would ever admit. It sent an yearning ache to form between her thighs, flooding her with a burning need she knew wouldn’t be satiated until he kissed her again.

“I’m all yours,” she whispered, heart skipping a beat at the fire that danced in his eyes at her admission.  

She rode the high from being near him through each dance, breathlessly laughing and enjoying herself much more than she had in such a long time. Time slipped by without her noticing after that. The only marker she had for knowing how long they had been dancing was the number of new blisters on her feet. When last song hit its last note, he spun her into a dip and she gasped at the unexpected end. Lifting her back upright, he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, causing her to forget how her feet worked. He laughed at her shock and guided her off the floor to grab their belongings.

They left hand in hand. Her feet ached, she was sweaty, but she was happier than she had ever been.  _ The blisters will be worth it _ , she thought as they walked out into the night on sore toes.The brisk, cool air was welcoming on her balmy skin for the first few minutes outside, but the longer they walked the colder she became. When she shivered he pulled her closer, wrapping an arm around her waist, allowing her to inch closer and lean into his frame as they made their way down the main street of Haven.

“I have one last stop in mind for the night,” he said, regarding her confused expression, “I hope you are in the mood for something sweet.”

When they arrived, she couldn’t help but giggle. He had brought her to one of the late night cookie shoppes that had sprung up with the recent craze. Insomnia Cookies was lit up in bright neon lights with a blinking cookie with a bite missing. The selection of sweets was vast, the case was filled with cookie combinations she had never heard of before, like oreo peanut butter, butterscotch toffee, java marshmellow to begin naming a few. And they were huge. Afraid of taking up too much time deciding, she went with a classic chocolate chip.  _ He has a sweet tooth _ , she noted, as she watched him pick a frosting covered sugar cookie, filing it with her other observations of him. She slipped her credit card into the cashier’s hand before Solas could protest, and stuck her tongue out at him over her shoulder. He chided her softly but the humor in his eyes told her he didn’t mean it.

They stood outside the shoppe and waited for their ride as they ate their cookies in contented silence.The cookie was ooey, gooey and simply delicious, melting in her mouth. She had to refrain from moaning as she took another bite. It was the perfect ending to a perfect night. 

“Would you like to try mine?”

She glanced up at him and she was reminded once more how much shorter she was than him. Her heart protested in chest, making it awfully hard to focus on anything but quelling it.

“Oh, sure, would you lik--”

A cold hand cupped her cheek and guided her face to his. He silenced her with searing kiss, capturing the noise of surprise with his lips. She melted into his mouth the way her cookie had in hers. The deep, throbbing ache flared again between her legs in her core as laid upon her kiss after kiss, pulling and nipping at her gently. She whined at the sensation of his tongue as it made pass at her lower lip. She parted them as he pulled away, eyes shining with desire and delight.

“You tease,” she huffed, letting her head fall against his chest. She felt the rumble of his laugh against her cheek.

“I must say, the chocolate chip tasted much better than I expected.”

“Sweet talker,” she muttered into his shirt, the tips of her earns burning as his hand slid up her bare back. 

“Our ride is here,” he said in a warm sigh against her hair, pressing a kiss to her temple before breaking their embrace to take her home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone doesn't know what swing dancing is (there are actually several types of swing dances, lindy hop, jitterbug, east side swing, etc) here is a link to a swing dancing competition (specifically Lindy hop) for you to watch to get an idea of the kind of dancing Anise and Solas participated in!!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9xxeWRxSbA


	7. Chapter 7

“ _ What _ has gotten into  _ you _ ?”

The voice startled Anise out of rereading the chart in her hand for the seventh time. “What?” she asked, glancing up to meet the curious eyes of her coworker. 

His, quite impressive, moustache twitched. “You’ve been humming ‘ _ Singing in the Rain _ ’ all, pardon my Orlesian, fucking morning and I must say it is getting incredibly bothersome.” He grabbed the chart out of her hands. “It was cute for the first few minutes, but two hours?” He tisked and shook his head disapprovingly. 

“She’s in falling in love, Dorian. Tis obvious.”

Anise’s face got abruptly hot. 

“I am not, Morrigan,” she retorted to the other doctor, shooting an heated glare her way. 

Morrigan just simply smiled, a hint of smugness playing at the corners of her mouth.

“You don’t think we haven’t noticed? You carry yourself differently now,” Morrigan pointed out. 

“Come to think of it, you do have a different air about you,” Dorian joined in, flipping open the chart, “but perhaps it isn’t love. Perhaps she just got laid.”

“Ah, perchance. Say when was the last time you made a visit to the on-call room?”

Anise huffed and swiped the chart back from Dorian. “Both of you are insufferable,” she snapped half-heartedly and stalked off down the hall to her patient’s room to give an update. 

_ I am not falling for him this early _ , she mentally scolded them, but her conviction was weaker than she would like to admit.

* * *

Making time for each other was a feat, one they both understood fully. A tiny part of her was relieved he had a job that also demanded most of his time like she did. It helped her ease the guilt of not being able to be available as often as she would like. Their encounters were brief. Many times Anise would quick fix a breakfast for him and rush to push it into his hands before he tore out of their complex on the way to his next flight. The surprise and gratitude on his face every time fueled her,as if he were not accustomed to simple acts of kindness from someone. 

Shortly after, he started returning the favor. She would dreg herself up the four flights of stairs after getting off a twenty hour shift and to find him waiting in the laundry room, two coffees and a croissant to share in his hands as they caught up on each other’s lives. Their time together was sacred to her in a sense. A break from the reality of the OR, and a place where life and death was not hanging in the balance. She didn’t have to be Anise the Saint life saving surgeon, or Anise the Doctor of Death when delivering the heartbreaking news that someone’s loved one did not make it. With Solas, she could just be Anise, herself. No title, no demanding expectations. Just Anise. 

She knew it was the same for him, she could see it in the way the burdens of his job would roll off his shoulders when he would shrug off his suit jacket before sitting across from her at a diner at two A.M. after just getting back from the airport. Or when they would spend an inordinate amount of time hogging the laundry room after an extended trip, his smile stripping away the layers of stress and weariness of travel. The effect his smile had on her...she’d catch herself thinking about how perfect his lips were shaped, and how even more perfectly they aligned with hers. Or how his arms fit around her as if they were made to hold her. How he could ignite a fire within her with the most chaste of kisses stolen in the hallway at midnight, and set her utterly ablaze with hisn tongue. He always pulled away, though. Restrained. guarded. As if afraid to go too far. She would catch guilt flash in his eyes before disentangling himself from her, politely bidding her goodnight and leaving her yearning. 

It was getting harder and harder to ignore the growing ache in her heart when she didn’t see him. It planted itself so discreetly that she when she finally was able to realize what it was, it was too late. It had grown roots, sewed itself so tightly that if she tugged even the slightest it would send her reeling. She wanted more from him and did not know how to ask. She knew he wanted to take things slow, but was there a difference to him between taking it slow and keeping things at a certain… level of intimacy? Did he only want a casual date every once in a while and nothing more? She hoped against all hope that was not the case, because _Gods she wanted more_. She wanted _him._

Loki headbutted her chin, pulling her out of her reverie. He rubbed against her face until she snorted and peppered his bald head with kisses. When he started kneading on her chest and purring like the engine of an old car, she stopped. Loki’s eyes were half-closed as he pushed and pulled, head titling ever so slightly to the side as she scratched just behind his left ear.

“What do you think I should Loki?”

A scratchy tongue lapped at her jaw, eliciting another chuckle from Anise. 

“Well I can’t very well do that, silly.” 

* * *

 

Her yearning finally pushed her to the point she could barely stand it, and she let it control her impulses. 

“Good night Anise,” he said with one of his polite smiles, and placed his last piece of folded laundry into his basket before turning towards the exit. They had just spent the last hour and half flirting over clean clothes and joking about their superiors who seemed to have forgotten what it was like to be in ‘lower’ positions. 

“Wait--don’t go.  _ Please _ .” 

Her voice pitched on the last word, and she hated how it almost sounded like a whine. It felt like a betrayal. She reached for him, fingers closing around his elbow just as he stopped. With a sharp tug he did not resist, he twisted to face her once more. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest as she looked up into his deep blue eyes. They widened as he took in her pleading expression. With a swift step, Anise closed the distance between them with a swift step, hand curling around the base of his neck, pulling him down. With in seconds his hands were on her. One lightly caressing her hip, the other sliding up her back. While his hands were reserved, his mouth was anything but. Kissing him was all-consuming, mind numbing, and utterly blissful. Feeling this excited, this giddy, this entirely head over heels sensation was novel to her, and was completely too easy to get lost in.

She needed him to know she wanted more than just these teasing touches, that she wanted him to truly  _ touch _ her. That she was his if only he wanted…

Her hands dropped from his neck and down the front of his neatly pressed shirt. Her fingers slipped around the tie he was wearing and yanked, deepening their kiss. The silken fabric was cool against her skin as she twirled it around her knuckles. While her tongue delved into mouth, her other hand guided the hand on resting on her hip up and under her shirt. She felt his rhythm stutter at the contact with her bare skin. His touch was warm, his fingers hesitant to take hold, but when he didn’t move his hand away when she let go, and she took it as a sign.  His tie came undone easily, not having been tightening properly in the first place. It fell from his neck and pooled on the floor at their feet. He made a noise that came from the back of his throat, a groan as she quickly got the first few buttons of his shirt unfastened.

“Solas,” she said as he sharply pulled back, his name a question on her lips, her eyes fluttering open to find his own wide and conflicted.

The heat from his hands disappeared in an instant. He tucked them firmly behind his back, out of reach. With a slow dawning horror, she realized that perhaps he didn’t want that kind of relationship at all.

“Forgive me, that was inconsiderate, I should have never acted on a whim. I should have asked.” She fidgeted with a tendril of hair from her pontytail, hoping a lightning bolt would strike the building, and her, in one fell sweep rendering her nothing but a pile of ash. She had been so foolish to think he'd want the same.

“Do not apologize, I just…” he averted his eyes, staring at his tie in a heap on the floor, “I think we should discuss this… us... over dinner.”

Her heart dropped into her stomach. She had been told that line before. And it never meant well. 

“Solas, if this, if it isn’t something you want you don’t have to formally e--”

“It is Anise," he cut her off, his eyes meeting--no commanding--hers once more, "I do want to explore this part of our relationship,  it’s just… there are considerations.”

“Considerations?” She stopped twirling her hair into a knot.

“Yes and I would much prefer to explain when we have more time. I know you report in at 4 am. You need the rest. Your focus needs to be in the OR, not on things that transpired in the laundry room. So please, dinner tomorrow night, at my place, when I know you are off the following morning.”

Her heart was staging a coup with her brain but somehow she managed to finally get out, “Okay. Tomorrow night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the delay! I had gone on vacation and while on vacation, my boyfriend (now fiance) proposed to me!!! :D :D so I've been distracted as of late, with that and (full time) job searching. 
> 
> I intend to get updates back on track every 2-3 days for this fic starting now :) <3 I have off tomorrow and will be editing the next chapter SPOILERS: WHICH CONTAINS SMUT (you're welcome). Expect another update soon :) <3


	8. Chapter 8***

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NSFW

Unfortunately, her focus evaded her at the hospital. She filed four charts in incorrect places (thankfully Dorian caught them in time), spilled soup down the front of her scrub shirt at lunch, and slipped in a puddle of some sort of fluid that had been left unattended to in the hallway. It didn’t smell of urine from what she could tell, but she wasn’t about to go sniffing it. She groaned as she sat up, careful not to touch whatever the wet substance was that brought her down. Her pants though were a lost cause.

“Having a rough day, my dear?”

Her stomach dropped. As if her day couldn’t get any worse. She had been avoiding the Chief of Surgery all morning because of the file mix up, and of course  _ this _ would be the moment the Chief found her.

“What gave it away,” she asked weakly, looking up to meet the impenetrable stare of Dr. De Fer. To her surprise, the Chief looked slightly amused.

“In my own experience, nothing is more detrimental to a young doctor’s career than a lack of focus.” 

The tips of Anise’s ears began to burn. “I apologize Chief, I’m just...off today.”

“I know, darling. This isn’t like you. Take an hour for lunch to collect yourself and your thoughts,” Vivienne drew herself to her full height, eye her speculatively, “and perhaps a fresh set of clothes. When you return please come see me in my office, there is a matter of paramount importance we need to discuss.”

The Chief sauntered out, causing a few of the other staff members down the hall jump back to get out of her way. No one messed with the Iron Lady. The second Vivienne was out of sight, and earshot, Anise groaned and pulled herself off the floor, taking part of the mysterious liquid with her. She peeled the wet clothing from the back of her thighs and did her best not to cry. How in the world was she supposed to make it to the end of her shift in one piece and prepare herself to have The Conversation about the future of her relationship with Solas if the world repeatedly reminding her it was against her?

The sound of wheels creaking drew her attention from her wet pants to the nurse that was scurrying down the hall pushing a mop bucket towards her.

“Awh, shite. Don’t tell me you slipped innit?”

Anise cringed and nodded. “Do I even want to know what  _ it _ is?”

The nurse shoved her short sandy hair back off her forehead with a rough gesture, “Jus lemonade, I dropped it coming in.” Despite her crass attitude, the woman did appear upset, “Hope you didn’t get hurt.”

“Lemonade is walk in the park.” Anise let out an amused sigh.  _ It was just lemonade _ , “I’ll be alright. Thanks.”

“Wait, did you think it was piss or something?” The woman snorted, “I can’t believe your not tweakin’ out!” The nurse cackled. “Damn if I knew you weren’t one of them serious docs with a stick up their arse I woulda said something worse.” Her mouth split into a grin. It was infectious. “Maybe I should start a rumor. “The Herald of the OR slipped in ji--”

“Don’t you even dare,” Anise threatened half-heartedly, passing the nurse as she started to mop the mess.

The woman’s continued cackles echoed down the hall as Anise turned the corner. Perhaps she would make it through after all.

* * *

  
  


She did survive, to her great relief. The rest of her day after her interaction with Sera, she had learned the nurse’s name from Cole--another nurse, who knew everyone and everything about everyone and somehow still didn’t have people to sit with in the cafeteria for lunch--went smoothly. Anise made a mental note to take lunch more often to keep lone nurse company. It appeared they could both use it.

Her meeting with Vivienne was better than she could have imagined. It was not about her filing error--though it was discussed and reprimanded briefly--but about a personal matter of the Chief. Vivienne Vivienne confided in Anise that White Spire Hospital in Orlais was going to have an opening in their Chief of Surgery position, and had invited her to apply--and that she was considering it. It wouldn’t be for another year or two, depending when the current Chief decided to retire, but the application and interviewing process apparently was long and grueling. They wanted Vivienne to apply as early as possible. This news was to be kept between the two of them until Vivienne found out more information about the position and her chances of being selected. Vivienne also mentioned just before she released Anise that if she was selected, and did accept the position, she did not intend to make the transition alone. She would still be keeping her eye on Anise as the White Spire had many fellowship opportunities, including specialized trauma. Anise nearly fainted. 

She had a lot to think about regarding her future. This news was something she immediately wanted to share with Solas, but stopped herself from stealing a moment in an on-call room to text him. After last night, she still couldn’t shake the feeling his “ _ considerations _ ” was going to translate as “ _ I can’t date you anymore because I don’t see a future with you _ ”,  and that thought alone was enough to shut her down from sharing this exciting development in her life. 

And later at the end of her shift, when she was changing out of her scrubs and into her street clothes, another idea manifested. 

_ Maybe when he says old-fashioned, he truly means that in regards to physical intimacy. _

She lightly beat her forehead against her locker. She had been truly an ass last night in the laundry room if that was case. She had just assumed he would be okay with sex and hadn’t even thought about asking him. If that was the conversation they were going to have, she would make sure to start off apologizing for misinterpreting his boundaries. But something in the way he kissed her had her doubting that line of thought. The way he claimed her was raw, passionate, and physical… the insinuations of his tongue left her mind reeling with fantasies. But then again, someone can still believe in not being sexually intimate and still be physically intimate to a certain extent. Neither of them had even brought up the idea of being exclusive, so she again had just assumed he was okay with the loose labels.

He was throwing her for a loop.

By the time she got home, she a mess all over again, mind consumed by what Solas’ considerations were going to be. Her stomach was tying itself into knots. She didn’t want to lose him, and the weight of that realization scared her too. She had several past relationships that she over invested herself in, some which hadn’t been “official” or “labeled” in, some that were healthy, others that were… less so. And one engagement that ended because of a miscarriage.

Her head dropped into her hands. 

If he learned this about her, would he leave her? End it?A little voice at the back of her head chided her that  _ he was too good to be true.  _ She was getting ahead of herself. They had to actually decide what they even were first. She ignored the negative thoughts as best she could as she went through motions of getting ready.

Loki lurked around her ankles as she flitted around her apartment, between her bedroom and the bathroom. He held a one sided conversation, meowing and chirping at her sensing her distress. When she finally sat down on her freshly made bed, in her underwear, he jumped up into her lap and headbutted her bicep, purring loudly.

“Hi baby boy,” she cooed, earning her a few scratchy licks to her bare upper arm, “I am at a loss. I don’t know what to wear.”

An undecipherable yowl met her ears. 

“I want to look nice, but not like I’m trying too hard,” she answered him, idly stroking the spot between his shoulder blades he liked so much, “I don’t even know what I’m getting into. Gods I suck at dating.”

Loki placed his paws on her chest and pushed himself up, sniffing her chin. His cold little nose bumped the underside of her jaw. 

“A dress might be over doing it,” she said, eyeing the teal dress she wore on their first date from the open doors of her closet, “but jeans seem too informal. A skirt maybe…”

She scooped Loki off her lap and dumped him on her pillows. He made an adorable grunt like sound as he hit their soft surfaces. Anise pulled the only two skirts she owned from the closet and laid them out on the bed, one loosely pleated white one that came to about mid thigh and one black empire waisted pencil skirt. . She perused through her limited selection of tops that matched the styles, and finally settled on a very pale pink cropped tank that was stitched with vertical grooves to pair with the white skirt. To finish it off she grabbed the floral printed kimono shawl she had received from her sister-in-law for Wintersend and a pair of nude flats.

“Loki?”

The mewl he gave she took as meow of approval.  

* * *

Anise knocked on his door promptly at six. Her nerves fluttered around her ribcage like butterflies trapped in net. Whatever he was cooking was wafting from his apartment, filling the hall with an intoxicating was intoxicating scent, making her mouth water. He answered almost immediately, eyes widening as he took in the sight of her standing before him. 

“Hi,” she said meekly, reaching up to smooth a piece of hair behind her ear. She had worn it down tonight. 

“Hello Anise,” he greeted, voice leveled and low, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. 

He took a step back and made a sweeping gesture to let her in. He had corner apartment, and was lucky to get more windows than most tennants. Curtains were half drawn to let him some of the dying light from the sunset illuminate the room. His apartment was much different than hers, much more minimalistic in its decor. A black leather couch lined one of the walls that had a coffee table in front of it, with notepads, pens, and other important looking documents spread out over its surface. A brief case laid against one of its legs. A door off to her left was slightly a jar with dim light slipping through the crevice. She could only assume it was his bedroom as there weren’t any other doors to be found. His kitchen opened up into the living room, the two places bleeding into one. A small table was neatly set for two with glasses of wine poured for each, and a fresh cut of crystal grace had been placed in a vase in the center. Tiny candles in little glass jars also adorned the table top, casting flickering shadows that danced across the table cloth and reflected off their glasses. And from the corner of his place, a record was playing. Something with an acoustic guitar and a soft, masculine voice.  It was hopelessly romantic. And she hopelessly  _ loved _ it. How was she supposed to bring up topics she dreaded when she was surrounded by such magic?

He pulled out her chair with a warm smile, an offer for her sit while he served. Her stomach was doing flips. No one she dated previously had treated her this way.  _ Pulling out chairs? Cooking dinners? _ Usually that was her job.  It was overwhelming different and yet  _ comfortable _ simultaneously. She didn’t know what to make of it. To think this might be the first and last chance she ever had with him made her heart ache. 

“How was your day?”

His question was so innocent,  _ so domestic _ , so genuine in the way he voiced it that the fragile wall, the one she had spent all day amassing to keep him out until she had uncovered his considerations, came crumbling down. Caving against her will, she let out all her frustrations, including the embarrassing fall and the confrontation with her Chief. 

“What did Dr. De Fer want to speak with you about?”

He placed a delectable plate of salmon and roasted vegetables over a fresh bed of salad before her, and her mouth stopped working as she stared down at it. After a beat she realized she was gaping and not speaking.

“Oh,” she said, quickly meeting his eyes. He was smirking. “She shared with me some great news, actually.” 

“Which was?”

“The White Spire has invited her to apply as their Chief of Surgery.”

His eyes went wide. “That is quite an honor.”

“That’s an understatement,” she said with a laugh, waiting for him to take a seat with his own plate before picking up her knife and fork, “she was ecstatic of course. She wanted to know what my thoughts on the position were, and if given the opportunity, if I would follow her there essentially..”

“That is amazing, Anise.”

As she glanced over the table at him, she noticed the gleam in his eyes.  _ He was proud of her _ . The butterflies steadily grew more restless in her breast as the tension between them heightened. 

“It would be the chance of life time honestly,” she said, averting her eyes as she blushed, and took bite of the fish. It took all her self-control not to moan as it melted in her mouth.

“Gods, Solas this is incredible,” she praised, covering her mouth with her hand as she spoke with a mouthful as not to be rude.

His mouth pulled into a crooked smile. “Most Arlathan recipes are.”

She playfully rolled her eyes. “I should have guessed. How was your day by the way?”

He filled her in on the paperwork he had been attending to for Evacorp as they ate. He spent his time editing new clinical trial confidentiality and consent forms as a favor to a coworker. It sounded tedious and boring and too much like he was being being taken advantage of. Someone else’s paperwork was not something he should have had to do on his day off. His demeanor even shifted while he was talking about his work, even in his body language as he excused himself to flip the record.  It aged him in some regard, the light in his eyes diminishing and his mouth perpetually pulled into a frown as he spoke of the board of directors and how important it was to get this project done before its deadline. She wanted to bring back some life into him, wanted to chase away that gloom that seemed to perpetually cling to him, one he brought back after every flight.

“Solas,” she said interrupting him, reaching a hand across the table to lay upon his, “you don’t seem very happy in this position. Why don’t you change jobs?”

He contemplated her words, selecting his own carefully. “It’s….complicated.”

“Complicated like us?”

The words left her before she could censor them, and the tension that had been simmering between them spiked. She had meant it as a lighthearted joke, an easy way to segue into what needed to be brought up… but his reaction told her he did not take it that way. 

He withdrew his hand from hers and stood abruptly, collecting the things at his place and hers. “It’s difficult to explain,” he said quietly, before walking back into the kitchen to scrape their plates.

She followed, taking the napkin off her lap and tossing it into the trash on her way.

“Solas,” said apologetically, tugging gently on his elbow to get his attention, “please, tell me.  _ Let me in _ .”

This was it. The moment she had been worrying about all fucking day.

“Anise, getting to know you and spend time with you has been wonderful.” He set the dishes in the sink. “The way I feel about you, I have not felt in years,” his his lips twitched into a sad smile, “You are more than I deserve.” He raised his hand as if to touch her cheek, but then thought better of it and retracted at the last second.

His words flooded her heart, filling it with such pressure she feared she might burst. Her fingers curled tighter around his arm as her heart rate sped up. “But?”

“But,” he echoed, peeling away her grip. He stared down where he held her hand, lips pursed and brows knotted. The silence cut her like scalpel, incision digging too deep. And then a new thought came to her. One that morphed all her earlier fears into one.

“But you don’t want to have to choose between your job and a relationship.” Her voice sounded very small as it left her. “Getting physical in our relationship more seriously would only make it that much more difficult to end.”

He held her gaze. “My job would be an obstacle in the relationship, as much as yours would. We’ve managed to live around them but eventually… we’d want something more stable, consistent. It would be something we could face together if…. I digress.” He shook his head and released her hand, tucking his own behind his back. “That is not my reason for my hesitancy. You deserve someone closer to your own age. To share in the experiences that come with being young, not someone jaded by time... ” he trailed off.

Her mind raced. His  _ age _ ? Sure, he was older...but what difference did that make when she was approaching thirty herself? 

“I don’t understand..?”

“Anise,” he shifted his weight, “I am twelve years older than you. I have little to offer you that hasn’t been spoiled already. I am afraid it will bother  _ you _ . I don’t want to start something and progress further if you’ll regret being with--”   


She pressed a finger to his lips. His eyes widened in surprise. 

_ He thinks he's damaged... _

“Solas, ask me how I feel about your age.”

“Anise, I--”

“Ask me how I feel.”

He closed his eyes with a sigh and leaned into her touch. “How do you feel… about my age?”

“It does not bother me in the slightest,” she said reassuringly, taking a small step closer to him, “In fact, I… I find it charming.” She felt the blood rush to her face at her confession. Now reflecting on the gap...she realized she liked it… found it attractive even. She dropped her hand and her gaze. “For once, I actually feel comfortable enough to let someone take care of me, I’m so used to being the responsible one. And maybe it is because you’ve had more time to figure out what you want in a relationship that makes you better at it, or at least to me…”

Two fingers pressed against her chin, making her tilt her head up at him. What she saw in his searching eyes made her heart burst, sending a cascade of fire through her veins.

“You mean that?” 

“Of course I do,” she matched his low whisper, “I’ve already made my decision. I’m in this, fully.” She leaned into him, running a hand up his chest. “I’m here, I’m ready. I’m willing. If you are…”

He cupped her face. “I am.”

They stood transfixed in that moment, their decision made and hanging in the silence between them.

“Then prove it.” Anise swallowed. “Kiss me.”

All the pent up frustration and tension she had rattling inside her melted away once his lips touched her own. It was gentle, questioning. He lingered, unwilling to break it but not pressing forward. She could tell by the way he held his body he was holding back.  

“Like you mean it,” she breathed against his skin. 

At that, he pulled away slightly. His grip on her chin forced her to look up into his smoldering, heavy lidded gaze. His brow arched as he stepped forward, making her step back. A whole new sensation overwhelmed her senses, a liquid kind of heat that spilled down her spine, and pooling lower still in her belly. She suddenly felt too hot, as is she were on fire but not quite ablaze. The tips of her ears burned as he continued to look at her that way. A dull ache began to throb between her thighs as his other hand glided up her hip, guiding her back further still. Her back hit the counter and she breathed in sharply. He chose that moment to advance, surging down and claiming her like he did on the night of Wintersend. His hand slipped around her thigh, hitching it around his hip to lift her up onto the edge of the counter’s surface. She took in all of him, breathed him in as she parted her lips to run her tongue along the seam of his mouth, diving in when he let her pass. Her fingers curling into the sweater she knit as he deepened their kiss. 

A whimper escaped when his mouth broke their rhythm and left hers to explore, as did his hands. His breath spilled over the exposed expanse of her throat, hot and heavy leaving searing wet kisses on every inch he could find as he dragged his hands up her thighs, pushing up the fabric of her skirt. Fingertips danced over the soft skin of her legs spreading them slowly before they shifted downwards to caress her inner thigh She didn’t even try to stifle the shudder it coaxed.

Her stomach clenched, as did the rest of her body, as his fingers reached the barrier of damp lace that was her underwear. 

“If this,” he traced the edge of her thong before hooking his index finger through it, “is something you want, I will give it willingly.”

“Yes. ” The word tumbled from her lips in a rush as she gripped his shoulder. 

He chuckled so softly that she felt it vibrate against her more than she actually heard it. 

“I do believe you owe me a pair for how many your kitten has taken from me.”

She gasped as he pulled,sliding the pair she was wearing down her legs, off her knees and let them fall past her ankles.

“I’ll collect my prize later,” he murmured against her cheek, pressing insistent kisses along her jaw, “come with me.”

She wrapped her legs around his waist and slid her arms around his neck as he picked her up. She felt the thong fall of her foot onto the kitchen floor, but she immediately let it slip from her mind as she had more,  _ pressing _ , things to focus on. Such as the size of the welcomed hardness she felt against her as she clung to him. 

_ Creators, she was going to ache tomorrow. _

He led her to the bedroom, eyes locked on her. She couldn’t break his hold, it completely entranced her. How he managed to seize her so wholly with a simple stare was beyond her. And honestly she couldn’t care how easy she fell prey to him at this point. This confidence of his, this  _ intimate _ side of him, was incredibly sexy and it had been oh so worth the wait.

She shed him of the wintersend gift once they reached his bed, tossing the sweater somewhere out of reach, followed by the undershirt he had donned beneath it so she could finally drink in the sight of him, bare chested before her. His gaze lost a fraction of its intensity the longer she stared, hands ghosting across the surface of his body without actually touching him. He was in good shape, no doubt about that, but he had softer lines whereas a younger man might have been more defined. She found it so much more overwhelming attractive. She wanted to trace every dip, indentation, and crease with the tip of her tongue.. 

It dawned her there was no reason for her not to.

Tucking her legs beneath her to kneel, she reached for him and splayed her fingers across his torso. She leaned in, kissing each freckle she saw dotted on his skin, tongue gliding across the surface of his abdomen, tracing grooves she found that had been softened with age. His breath hitched as she reached his navel and her fingers found the button, and zipper of his slacks. 

If he was allowed to tease her...

His pants hit the floor.

“Your underwear looks so much better with you filling them out,” she murmured, lips pressed  lightly over the swell in his briefs and laid a chaste kiss there. His fingers twisted in her hair reflexively. 

“Ani--” 

Her name turned into moan as she tugged the fabric down, exposing him fully. She wasted no time dragging her tongue along the length of his cock from base to tip before taking him entirely into her mouth. It wasn’t long after she her mouth and hand had settled into a steady rhythm that his hips began to buck in tandem, and a small curse of praise fell down to her ears.  

Suddenly he was pulling her off him and being shifted up the bed, shedding the rest of her clothes as they went. His mouth collided with hers as soon as she had settled back against his pillows. They felt like clouds wrapped in silk against the bare skin of her back, drowning her in the illusion that she was floating despite the pressure of his body pressed to her. She was all too aware of the weight of his cock as it laid on her inner thigh, hard and thick. A jolt of pleasure coursed through her like live current as his fingers dove between her thighs and found her clit, working her so easily up to the point the throbbing in her core was inescapable and all consuming. And when his slender fingers slipped inside her, she let him know just how pleasurable it was, unable to refrain from being silent--or still-- any longer. When her whimpers turned into pleas, he finally withdrew from her and reached to the nightstand drawer to their left and dug through it. He found what he was looking for, and heard the crinkle of a wrapper being ripped a few seconds later. She didn’t think her heart rate could have scaled any higher, but it did. After the condom was rolled on, he coaxed her open and settled between her legs, pausing to catch her gaze, the question was written all over his face.  _ Are you sure? _

Before he could even ask, she nodded and said, “Take me.”

With an effortless movement, he thrust up and in. She made a lewd sound at the sensation of being filled so fully, the ache of being stretched in ways she hadn’t in so long. He was gentle at first, the rock of his hips slow and measured as he pulled out watching her reaction. Each thrust forward carefully pressed. It was a tender thing, really, what was transpiring between them. One of his hands slid into hers and she clasped their fingers together just above her head in the sheets. The other found a home cupping her cheek. His face was so expressive, no longer held back by a rigid composure she was sure he kept up for appearances. She wanted to trace the emotion she found there with a finger tip, but that would mean relinquishing her grip on his shoulder and she wasn’t about to let go of him, not now, not ever. 

The gradual, intimate pace changed when she started canting her hips into his rhythm. She still ached but it had grown into a satisfying one. An ache she realized she wanted--no, needed--more of. His thumb caressed her lower lip as he grinded into her. She met each vigorous thrust with a subtle roll of her hips, angling him deeper to hit that one spot… 

She gasped when he did, ragged and high pitched as she arched into him. With one simple movement he had managed to make the muscles in her core pull taut. The sensation causing her nails to dig into the blades of his shoulders. His thrusts faltered at her exclamation. 

“Don’t you dare stop,” she said in a breathless moan, freeing their entwined hands to grip his hip, to coax him further.  _ Harder. _

The pace they set after could only be described as desperate, her body writhed under his relentless devotion, coiling tighter and tighter. Each of his thrusts fell faster, rougher, deeper until it became all too much. What had started as a groan at the back of his throat erupted into a harsh cry as he came, crashing into her. The last few erratic rolls of his hips coupled with the sound of his climax and the deft fingers that suddenly caressed her clit finished her off, setting her free to ride several tidal waves of ecstasy.

They collapsed in a blissful heap, limbs entangled and chests heaving, neither making an effort to move for several minutes. She curled her fingers around the base of his neck and nuzzled her nose long his jawline, savoring the way the rapid beat of his heart pulsed in time with hers. He hummed something against her forehead, elven she thought, too dazed and thoroughly fucked to actually comprehend anything at this point. Chaste kisses were being placed along the crown her head, her temples, and eventually down the bridge of her nose. 

She gazed up at him through half-lidded eyes and smiled up lazily at him. “You know,” she said quietly, “for a brief time I was a little nervous that when you mentioned being old-fashioned…” she trailed off heat crept down the back of her neck, suddenly embarrassed at her assumption.

“That I would be opposed to sex?” The question was laced with mirth that reflected in his eyes as he pulled himself up to gaze down at her. The soft laugh that escaped him turned into snort, and something in her twisted pleasantly at the sound. “I’m not  _ that _ old fashioned.”

The flat look she was trying to give him was ruined by the smile that broke across her mouth. “Solas, you haven’t let me pay for any of the dates we’ve gone on, you open car doors for me, you--”

Her words were swallowed up by another kiss, and the subsequent giggle too. She could feel him smiling through the motion and it tugged at her heart in all the right ways. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he sat up, taking her with him.

“You are going to have to let me  indulge you everyone once in a while,” he murmured against her mouth, “please.”

“I’ll take it into...  _ consideration,” _ she teased, nipping at his lower lip. 

  
At that, he chuckled exasperatedly and shook his head. “ _ You would _ .” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dumps this and r u n s


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hold on, darling  
> This body is yours,  
> This body is yours and mine  
> Well hold on, my darling  
> This mess was yours,  
> Now your mess is mine

“Honestly, I think you should quit your job and be a chef, or one of those stay at home hipster-food bloggers that instagrams all their meals and gets sponsored by food industry monopolies.”

This earned her one of those rare and coveted chuckle-snorts she had grown attached to. She peered at him from over her shoulder where she stood in front of his kitchen sink, cleaning up the dishes of their--once again brilliant--grilled shrimp taco dinner. It had been over two weeks, since they had their first formal dinner together, since they slept together. A make-up of sorts for missing out on celebrating the new year. Naturally, the E.R. was filled with those who had made not so wise choices, blown off parts of their bodies with fireworks they should not have been setting off...and thus Anise was other was preoccupied. Solas had agreed to feed Loki for her while she was called away. So at least that spoiled brat got a new year’s kiss. Her heart fluttered when he met her gaze, lips pulling into a smirk where he sat lounging on his couch.

“There is only one problem,” he said, pouring them each another glass of wine from a fresh bottle. They had already killed one during dinner. “I don’t have an instagram.”

She shifted her weight and placed a hand on her hip. “Then how do you post all your mundane life updates?”

“Facebook?” He shrugged as she let out a mocking hiss of disapproval, “I don’t use it that often. Not much occurs in my life that demands a social media update.”

“Well, you should friend request me anyway so I can post random updates on your wall for you.”

Another tipsy chuckle and a smile that reached his eyes. “I’m sure you would.”

Dropping the towel she had been using to dry the counter, she made her way over to settle on the couch beside him. She swiped her glass from his extended hand and tucked her feet beneath her.

“What you don’t want to be connected?” she teased as he glanced down at his wine. “Are you still friends with an ex that would stalk me or something?”

His whole body went still.

“I was joking,” she playfully shoved him with her foot, and it brought a small smile back on his face.

“Joking as it were, you are...not entirely wrong.”

She stared at him expectantly. “Go on.”

“It’s complicated.”

He made to stand but she caught him by the elbow. He send a sideways glance towards her, a hint of apprehension in his eyes behind the mirth.

“Oh no, you don’t get out of _that_ so easily.”

He sighed and brought his fingers to steeple over his flushed face. “My life revolves around my work."

“I know."

“Literally. My social circle, including my previous romantic relationships…” He straightened, his hands knotting together in his lap. “One more reason I was hesitant to get involved with you. I do not want to subject you, or anyone, to the chaos that is my life. My last relationship was a mistake. One I never should have made.”

“As they often are.”

“But because we work together... “ he exhaled sharply, “that’s not accurate. Because I work _for_ her, I am still in frequent contact. It’s a bit a of a mess.”

She choked on her wine. “ _You’ve slept with your boss, too_?”

Surprise rippled over his face at her outburst. “What?”

“Oh we’ll delve into my romantic disaster history in a minute. Please continue, you have a lot to unpack here.” She smiled behind her glass of wine, and nudged him again with her foot. “Go on, I want to hear this story.”

“Oh, no I would love to hear anything you have to say this point,” he turned to face her, tucking one leg beneath him, mirroring her position, “because what I’m about to say next will make everything worse.”

She opened her mouth and closed it again. She decided putting wine in it was the best course of action and so she drained her glass. “Nope, you gotta finish embarrassing yourself first. Then I’ll layout my baggage.”

“I warned you,” his mouth split into a chagrined smile as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I got involved with the Chief Operating Officer.”

Anise gasped and immediately clasped a hand over her mouth, “The C.O.O.? _Solas_!”

“I was young and stupid and it lasted far longer than it should have. And of course, like all things doomed to fail, it got out. Her husband found out--”

“ _Her husband!?”_

“The CEO.”

“You’re playing with me right now.”

“No, I am being honest.” The humor left his voice. “It’ not even a subject we should be laughing over… but…” He drug a hand over his face, wiping  away the fragment of a smile from the moment before. “For once I am able to talk about it without hating myself, so that must count for something.”

Anise said aside her empty wine glass and scooted closer to him on the couch.

“Sorry I pried. I didn’t mean to open up things better left--”

“It’s okay. I should talk about these things.” He allowed her to take his hand in her own. “The point was that we are all connected on social media as well. I would like to just keep this new part of my life, _my life with you_ , private. Something I don’t have to share with the world that demands every second of my existence.”

“Is this why you choose to live here, and commute to Arlathan?”

He nodded. “Obviously there were repercussions for our actions. I was demoted. She was suspended from her position. And that caused a lot of unrest in the company. She was admired by many. I was blamed for her downfall. And in a way, I am directly responsible.”

“What were you before a rep?”

“I worked in the labs. It’s where my true talent lies.” He shrugged. “But my clearances have been revoked and I was repurposed, as was she. Apparently we were still valuable enough to the company to be tethered and leashed for the last five years. Or perhaps it is a punishment.”

“Why don’t you just quit?” When he didn’t say anything she felt the need to add, “I’m being serious, Solas. If they’re treating you this badly, and it makes you this unhappy, _walk away_.”

“Could you walk away from your job after a major mistake knowing you might be able to fix , or make a difference?

Her heart dropped into her stomach. “No. I couldn’t.”

“Yes, the company itself is corrupt but the medicine they create saves lives. I used to be a part of that process.” He squeezed her hand. “I created this mess. My pride won’t just let me walk away from it.”

_He may be a stubborn fool, but now he’s my stubborn fool._

“I want you to know that I’ll support you--no matter what you stubbornly choose to do.”

“You may regret that.”

A brief moment of silence enveloped them, each lost in their own thoughts.

“I also, have made some… less than wise decisions. And that is saying it nicely.” His thumb began idly tracing designs on the back of her hand as she spoke, and it gave her courage.

_Here goes nothing._

She took a deep breath. “I was engaged, once.”

He sat up a little straighter, giving her his full attention. “You were?”

“Yeah,” with her free hand she tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear, “clearly didn’t end well.”

“Otherwise we wouldn’t be here.”

They shared a quiet laugh. “Hah, exactly.”

“Was it to _your_ boss…?”

“Oh creators, no.” she shook her head vehemently. “A man from my clan. Arranged marriage type thing.” He stared at her sympathetically. “We wanted to start a family... but I…. we had a falling out and he cheated, I didn’t handle it well, I decided to go to med school instead, something that would take a long time and basically give me an excuse to never go home and...”

_Face reality. Face the loss of a child, of a family. Too much, too painful. Change the subject, this is one for another time._

“The boss story though, that was more recent.” She changed the subject, adjusting her legs so she was sitting cross legged.  “ I got involved with one of the attendings when I was just starting out as an intern. Not my brightest moment. It was messy, and I quickly realized he was entangled with many other people, and not just me. It was a shock but once I figured it out I ended my part in it.”

If he noticed the abrupt topic switch, he made no comment. “Which attending did you sleep with?”

She cocked her head to the side. “Do you think you know him?”

“I might,” he gave a small smile.

“Anders is a remarkable doctor. I swear the entirety of his personal life puts your sleeping with your boss story to shame.”

That made Solas laugh, a real one this time. “I do know him.”

Anise blanched. “Oh, gods.”

Solas’ mouth curved into a teasing smile as one brow arched. “I’m surprised to hear the hospital staff fraternize so… frequently.”

“We’re not supposed to, but when you spend a sixteen hour high stress shift literally inside someone together...well…” she gestured with her free hand. “It happens. It’s a cesspool honestly. Every week I’m trying to figure out who’s sleeping with who so I don’t step on toes or accidentally out a relationship. It’s tiring.”

“I can imagine. No wonder you always look so wiped when you come home, avoiding all those bleeding hearts.” He leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Admirable.”

She shoved him with her shoulder, a blush beginning to color her cheeks. “ _Stop_.”

Leaning his elbow on the back of the couch, he propped his head up with his hand. “I just divulged a secret that would have sent any sensible person running from my apartment. And yet, you’re still here.”

“I pretend to have my life together, but it’s a mess.” A soft smile formed on her lips. “And yet you keep inviting me back.”

He gave a small shake of his head before he reached for her face, cupping her jaw in the palm of his hand as he leaned towards her. “As is mine, and yet you keep staying.”

His lips brushed her own.  She unfurled her limbs and slid her arms around his neck, pulling him gently down over her on the couch. He shifted to lay between her legs that wrapped around his hips once he had settled.

Pressing her mouth to his she whispered, “I never claimed to be sensible.” His tongue darted between her lips, coaxing a moan from her. “I don’t plan on starting to be now, either.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sucker for trainwrecks pretending to have their shit together because that's how I feel my life is too. And everyone I know. haha
> 
> I also picture Anise's day to day life at the hospital is just like a Grey's Anatomy episode. I should write a short bit about some hospital drama.

**Author's Note:**

> I have written all the chapters for this fic :D the latter chapters have yet to be edited but I figured I could do that over the next few days and start posting this in the meantime! :) <3 I'm aiming to update it every 3 days/twice a week or so. The fic in its entirety will be posted on my tumblr when I upload the last chapter here.
> 
> Enjoy some comedic fluff and eventual smut <3


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